HEARTBREAK!

Seahawks Stun Packers with Furious Late OT Rally

Shock.

Disbelief.

Stunned.

Anger.

Denial.

Then the sudden realization of what just slipped thru the fingers starts to set in.

It’s over… and we had ‘em. And as Aaron Rodgers so succinctly put it “We gave it away.”

In the end when the cold, stark reality of what just happened hits there is nothing but the bitterness of disappointment that comes with the reality that the Green Bay Packers were this close to moving on to the Super Bowl. The stunning, shocking, stinging loss that occurred when the Seattle Seahawks posted 15 points in the last 3:52 of the game, a game they would eventually come from way behind to win will burn for many years in Green Bay for anyone who calls himself a fan. The Packers Tramon Williams summed it up best in the morgue like locker room after it was over. “We were where we wanted to be,” Williams said. “We just didn’t get it done. We squandered away every opportunity for us to put that game away, and there’s really no excuse for it.”

Don’t blame the defense.

In the stunning come-from-behind 26 – 22 OT loss to the Seattle Seahawks the Green Bay Packers will have an agonizing flight home and a very cold offseason. With no attempt to take away from Seattle’s gutty performance the Seahawks did not win the game as much as the Packers lost it. All year long the Pack had trouble putting up 6 in the red zone. It came back to bite and now will haunt them. Mason Crosby had not only resurrected his career but was keeping the Packers in it when the offense sputtered. The special teams unit will take heat for this game as well. The special teams caused a fumble that led to 3 points but also gave up the play that got Seattle back into it when the Hawks boldly went for 6 on a successful field goal fake. After Russell Wilson finally got the Seattle offense on the board very late the onside kick was not only expected it was a given. Brandon Bostick will now have his name added to the unfortunate pantheon of rogue’s gallery of goats alongside Bill Buckner, Chris Webber, Leon Lett and Marty McSorley and when he not only failed to do his job he bobbled the ball that Jordy Nelson was designed to grab. The offense that dominated everything in the first half left a few points on the field when it sputtered near the goal line not once but twice.

This was far from one man or one play blowing the lead. This was a collective effort.

Bostick won’t be alone in this painful offseason. Mike McCarthy will have to answer why he did not go for the TD not once but twice on 4^th and inches as well as to why he abandoned his aggressive attack late in trying to sit on the lead. Dom Capers will have to answer why he stopped rushing Wilson late especially considering the Packers had already intercepted him a ridiculous 4 times. Special teams coach Shawn Slocum will have to account not only for the failure to properly execute the onside kick he will also have to account for the fake FG TD pass thrown by Jon Ryan to a wide open reserve lineman for the Hawks first score. Ha Ha Clinton- Dix will have to answer why he did not go after the high hanging lob as the Hawks attempted to go for 2 after the Seahawks first offensive TD of the day. Andrew Quarless will have to live with the drop on 3^rd and 4 when the Pack needed it most as Rodgers split the ‘8’ and the ‘1’ on his jersey. Morgan Burnett will have to answer why he chose to slide at midfield instead of advancing the ball to potential scoring range when he had a wide open field in front of him on the 4^th pick of the day tossed by Wilson. The entire offense will have to account for the continued, baffling inability to cash in from the red zone not just today but throughout the season. The offensive red zone sputtering was a problem all year.

And sputter in the red zone it did on Sunday. The Packers came out of the gate and dominated the ‘Hawks in every phase of the game and on every corner of the field. The Packers defense shone brightly and gave the Packers a championship performance. To be crystal clear the defense was so good it was as if the two teams had swapped jerseys before the game. How dominant was the Packers defense?

Try 4 INT’s and add a kickoff fumble recovery dominant. Try a Russell Wilson QB rating of 0.00 going into the half with Green Bay leading 16 – 0 dominant. Not even merely good – dominant and completely in charge of throttling Wilson and Seattle. The defense kept Wilson in the pocket and it wasn’t until late that Wilson was able to do anything. But when he did finally do something he did something spectacular.

The Pack took the field and the game by storm. On their first possession the drive ended when Richard Sherman picked off Rodgers in the end zone on a brilliant play. On the Pack’s next 4 possessions they scored 4 times. Aaron Rodgers looked fluid and mobile in the pocket and was carving up Seattle’s D. But two drives stalled just agonizing feet short of the end zone. Both John Kuhn and Eddie Lacy were stuffed from very short yardage and Green Bay settled for a pair of Crosby chip shots. Taking whatever points a team can get on the road is wise. But the fact is the Packers offense left at least 3 TD’s on the field by being unable to fully cash in a golden opportunity. Mike McCarthy speaks of establishing an identity and playing up to that. All season long McCarthy had been very aggressive in his play calling and twice he elected to take the points on a field goal instead of risking two 4^th down shots of less than a yard which, in turn, prompted Fox TV’s Troy Aikman to openly question the decision. McCarthy has had a very successful run in Green Bay and has done so by being aggressive. Even Rodgers addressed the very soft run, run, run, punt strategy late when twice Green Bay was held to 3-and-out that gave the ball back to the opportunistic Hawks.

The Pack took advantage early when Rodgers scrambled and hit Randall Cobb in the back of the end zone. Another Crosby field goal and Green Bay went in confidently staked to a 16 -0 lead. Even with the lead there was a quite case of angst building over the offenses not soring TD’s when they had the chance. Even as the 3^rd quarter opened the Packers defense still controlled the game. After a huge 3^rd down stop that forced the ‘Hawks into settling for an apparent field goal it was the special teams that got caught red handed.

 

As Seattle lined up for the FG try former Packer P Jon Ryan took the snap and rolled to his left. A.J. Hawk was caught in no man’s land and when he stepped up to challenge the expected run Ryan lofted the ball over his outstretched hands to rookie Lineman Garry Gilliam who was left unchecked in the end zone. S Sean Richardson was responsible for anyone trying to sneak out but afterwards said there was no call to expect the unexpected from the bench. Seattle had to resort to trickery as their offense was ground to a halt for the better part of 3 ½ periods.

The Pack’s offense put up another 3 pointer to go up 19 – 7. Then they sat back and turned it over to the D. Wilson finally shook the stink off enough to engineer a drive that closed the gap to 19 – 14 with just over 2 minutes remaining. There was not a soul in the universe who did not know what was coming next. Down 5 with 2 minutes left is automatic onside kick time. The Packers put the hands team out and as soon as the ball was lofted on the attempt the Packers TE Brandon Bostick went up and to grab it. And then missed it. The Hawks Chris Matthews gobbled up the gift and the 68,-000+ 12^th man in Seattle, a group held silent for the most of the game finally came to like and had something to cheer about.

Bostick is part of the “Hands” team, the onside squad whose sole responsibility is to catch and secure an onside kick. In that formation there are agile wide bodies and the most sure handed members of the Pack. Bostick is a wide body who was supposed to be a blocker that kept the horde off the sure handed Jordy Nelson. But Bostick inexplicably went for it with disastrous results. When the Hawks’ Chris Matthews grabbed the donation Wilson wasted no time in going for the kill.

When Wilson drove the Hawks to the Hawks first lead of the game the crowd had ample reason to go nuts. Marshawn Lynch took off on a 24 yard run that gave Seattle the lead at 20 – 19. There was not a soul in the universe who did not know what was coming next. Up 1 with just under 2 minutes left is automatic 2 point try time. The single point did Seattle no better than a 2 point lead and the 3 meant the Packers would only be able to tie unless lightning somehow struck. When the defense needed most to rise they almost did. As Wilson rolled right he was under siege when he lofted a prayer of a ball toward the goal line. Ha Ha Clinton- Dix already had 2 INT’s on the day but did not even come close to making a play on the ball as it gently settled into TE Luke Willson’s arms for the 22- 19 lead, the first lead they saw all day.

Rodgers led the Packers down the field as they stormed to tie the game with 19 seconds left. Rodgers is the MVP after all and Rodgers on a bad leg is better than almost anyone else on two. On the day he was far superior to Wilson in spite of his 2 INT’s.

Rodgers and the Packers would not see the ball again.

The Seahawks won the toss and in the most bitter of endings came when Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35 yard TD to end the Packers season and send Seattle to the Super Bowl. In playoff competition there are no moral victories. The sporting world found out the Packers can play defense at an incredibly high level. 4 INT’s and you can’t win a game? Holding Wilson to a pathetic QB rating of 13.8 and losing? That’s thirteen point eight. There is no typo. Wilson was stinko because of the Packers approach to him. They kept him contained largely in the pocket and his running was kept to a minimum. Morgan Burnett’s INT with just over 5 minutes left should have sealed it.

Should have.

Afterwards a dejected Aaron Rodgers patiently answered every question fired at him but left even more questions out there. "It's going to be a missed opportunity that I'll probably think about for the rest of my career," Rodgers said. "We were the better team today, we played well enough to win. We can't blame anybody but ourselves. We gave it away." He referenced the plays on the 2 separate 3-and-outs that were away from the usually aggressive Packers that included a 3^rd and 4 dropped pass by Andrew Quarless. “We weren’t playing as aggressive as we usually are.” said Rodgers. “(We were) Very confident we were going to win the game. The defense played great; forced a turnover on special teams. You can’t let them complete a pass for a touchdown on a fake field goal, you can’t let them recover an onside kick,” said Rodgers.

“We were on the cusp,” he said. “You just go home. Move on. This one is going to hurt for a while. We gave it away.”

Bostick was also inconsolable but found the strength to face the horde of media gathered around his stall. “I let my team down,” Bostick said. “I just reacted and thought I could make a play on it, but obviously I didn’t. I felt like I had my hands on the ball, and it just slipped through I guess. Then I just got hit, and I didn’t have the ball.” As soon as Bostick returned to the sidelines special teams coach Shawn Slocum tore into him. The sight of the dejected Bostick sitting alone on the bench was as painful to watch as the collapse itself.

Throughout the game the Packers defense throttled Seattle. Inexplicably after Burnett’s interception the Pack did not stop the Seahawks once on their final 3 possessions. There are so many ‘what-if’ plays that could have altered the outcome. What if Green Bay goes for it on 4^th down- twice? What if Burnett continues to run with the ball after the pick instead of inexplicably sliding? He had nothing but open field in front of him and could have set the Packers up for one more score. What if Quarless catches the ball? Or Bostick simply does his job? What if the special teams played for the potential fake? What if Clinton- Dix catches the one that went right through his hands, or he makes a play on the lollipop throw on the 2 point conversion? There are far too many of these scenarios form this to go down easily. This one will hurt for quite a while.

There are no words that can be written to ease the sting and pain of this defeat. Not for the players, not for the coaches, and not for the fans. There will many who will clamor for heads to roll. It is not necessary. A loss like this will make great fodder for the uninformed and the media talking heads. In being philosophical it is only a game. Our lives and homes are not at risk in the watching. Our families will still love us in the morning and we will get up to go to work. No one has died here and there are certainly worse tragedies that permeate the news every night. The fans will feel cheated and let down. So will the players and coaches who make their living in the game.

It is not our job on the line though. Our lives as fans will regain a center as soon as the loss can be catalogued and filed away if not accepted. In the 95 year history of the Packers there is not a loss of this magnitude that comes to mind. For almost 58 minutes the Packers were the better team. At the end of the game the Packers were still the better team and it means nothing. The Seahawks are the champions and in the fury of the last 5 minutes of the game into overtime they showed why they are champions and the Packers forced them to play like it.

In the end it was not enough. 56 minutes of brilliance is not enough.

It is far too soon and the wound is too fresh to be able to put it into perspective and move on. Being the 3^rd best team in the NFL carries little weight and there will be a long, cold winter until the draft, OTA’s and seeing what next season brings. Based on what we saw on Sunday the future is still very, very bright.

But for today the now is very cold, dark, and bleak.

We’ll see you all next season.

RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED FROM

The Season Ends Where it Began

as Pack Faces ‘Hawks for NFC Title

How fitting is it that the 2014-`15 NFL season ends up right where it began? The 2^nd place Green Bay Packers (12-4), fresh off an impressive 26-21 controversial game that had the reversal call for the ages go right back into the belly of the beast to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for the right to move onto Super Bowl XLIX. This will be the last Super Bowl to thankfully carry Roman numerals and the two best in the NFC will meet in the ear splitting loud house of CenturyLink Field in Seattle on Sunday.

While Seattle grabbed the first game there is little left of the two teams that even resembles who and what they were in the opener. They are as similar now to each other as Aaron Rodgers’ calf is to a herd of heifers. Gone are some of the players who even factored into the outcome and for both squads there are many new faces that have emerged throughout the season to play prominent roles. Both Seattle and Green Bay ranked # 1 and #2  have gone through similar early slumps and have been through the trial by fire period and both have withstood the inevitable low points of a season to come out the unquestioned top 2 in the NFC both finishing at 12 – 4. Seattle has the early advantage of a 7 -1 home record compared to the Pack’s so-so 4- 4 record. Seattle had the easiest of the two paths to reach the final easily dispatching the NFC South winner-by-default Carolina Panthers 31 – 17 and Green Bay made it after a thrilling, nail biting controversy ridden battle against # 3 Dallas last week 26 – 21.

Each team has a quick laundry list of what they’ll need to do to be successful. The Seahawks have that big, bad dominating defense while the Packers have a magnificent offense.  Each boasts a powerful workhorse of as running back that will be looking to carry the load. The Packers defense has improved quantum leaps since Clay Matthews moved inside and they will have to contend with QB Russell Wilson who is playing the best football of his young career. Each team has strengths and yet there are still exploitable weaknesses… if they can get to them.

Seattle unquestionably has the best defense overall in the league. The Legion of Boom has been a destructive force in its own right and has earned fear and respect throughout the league. Their offense doesn’t command quite as much respect but Wilson has become a slippery, elusive QB with a great head for wriggling out of harm’s way. For Green Bay they come in with one of the best – if not the best – offenses in the game. Aaron Rodgers collected his 2^nd MVP Award for a magnificent season but is hampered by a calf tear that has slowed his mobility down considerably. The Packers defense, while improved, will have its work cut out for it in trying to contain the guy that makes the ‘Hawks go in Marshawn Lynch.

The Pack was dropped unceremoniously in opener by a count of 36 – 16 and created a month of handwringing until the boys in green and gold began to hit their stride. Seattle struggled early and is now peaking. Even though these two met early there is little, if any, empirical data that could be culled from that game that applies to this game. For all intents and purposes these are two very different teams now than what they were then.

In the opener Seattle was able to drive Green Bay nuts with WR Percy Harvin and the jet sweep. The Packers spent most of the game fruitlessly chasing Harvin as he ran wild outside while Lynch pounded inside. But Harvin will not be a factor since he and his locker room killing personality was shipped off to New York in the middle of the season. For the Packers much has been written about Rodgers avoiding CB Richard Sherman’s side of the field. Rodgers did not attempt to throw a single ball Sherman’s way which has given hope to Hawk followers that Rodgers is somehow scared to test him.

Looking at it a little closer in game 1 Sherman primarily drew then #3 WR Jarrett Boykin who spent a long, frustrating afternoon trying to shake Sherman, something he could not accomplish. Boykin has been since relegated to the bench and in his place rookie Davante Adams has more than stepped up, he has stepped in and become a difference maker in the Packers star studded arsenal. In game 1 Randall Cobb had yet to get untracked and Jordy Nelson drew most of the attention. Neither finished with more than 83 yards in receptions. Adams was the difference maker against Dallas; his 46 yard catch and run and fake on J.J. Wilcox was the biggest play of the game. And it was Adams, not Nelson and not Cobb that Rodgers was trusting with the ball down the homestretch. Adams did not fail the test either. His strength and clutch performance was the dagger to end any hope Dallas may have held.

And it has to be taken into account the key moments of that first game in Seattle – Rodgers being stripped of the ball for a game changing safety and LB Brad Jones getting both hands on a sure pick that was slapped away. Rodgers also had an unfortunate interception when the ball bounced off Nelson’s hands and was grabbed by Byron Maxwell that gave far too many points to the Hawks. For the record also factor in rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix who looked like a deer in the headlights rookie when he was undressed by WR Ricardo Lockette on his way to the end zone, a play that was so bad it was almost comical. The circumstances are not likely to be repeated, not now and not in a game of this magnitude. Marshawn Lynch has become a non-verbal threat to any team’s chances. He pounded the Packers for 110 yards and 5.5 yards/ carry avg. and has been the workhouse to whom Seattle hitches their offensive wagon. Given the troubles Green Bay’s defense has had in containing the run the Seahawks will look to unleash Beast Mode early and often. This will be a throwback game where each team will be coming with a powerful back capable of carrying his team a long way. Lynch has a proven body of work and Eddie Lacy has a bit of catching up to do. In game 1 Lacy was held to but 34 yards on 12 carries (2.8 yards/ carry) and was a non-factor.

As the season has worn on Lacy has come on. The Packers Mike McCarthy has a very creative offensive mind and there may be a few more screen passes thrown, especially if Seattle tries blitzing Rodgers and his ailing leg. The Hawks have been superb in bringing heat just 4 up front. Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Kevin Williams have been able to put pressure on the QB without needing to add extra help. For Green Bay to be successful the Packers offensive line will have to win the up-front battle. The longer Green Bay stays on the field the more it helps their shot. Lacy will not be in the witness protection program on Sunday. McCarthy understands how to beat a team from the inside out… by beating them at their strength and what they do best.

In the season finale Detroit came into Titletown ranked #1 defensively against the rush. So what did McCarthy do? He pounded Lacy and James Starks inside and out and ran the ball down the throats on the team that stopped everyone else. When a team is capable of beating another at the very thing they do best it is a demoralizing endeavor that will cause the opponent to wonder what just happened. Lacy and Lynch will hold the keys for their teams, both in yardage but more importantly time of possession. Neither team wants to hand the ball over and certainly not on a short field.

If the Packers are able to grab an early lead it could pay immediate dividends by taking Seattle’s famed 12^th man out of the equation. Seattle will have a raucous fan base in CenturyLink Field that will be foaming at the mouth for this return to the NFC Title tile.

The Hawk defense is a daunting array of talent in the back end. Sherman is a game changer and he along with the thundering Kam Chancellor and equally hard hitting Earl Thomas will make every receiver work for every yard. It is not merely the pass coverage Seattle brings; their ability to not only separate the ball from the opponent it is the ability to separate the ball carrier from his senses. The key element is in Seattle’s ability to pressure Rodgers with just 4 up front. LB Bobby Wagner is more than capable of dropping into coverage and he also brings a whack to his game. It will be up to Green Bay’s wideouts to create their own space by being tougher and quicker off the ball. Rodgers was able in the second half last week to play more like Aaron Rodgers. In the first half he stepped lightly and gingerly on his bad wheel but by the second half he found he could slide just as well in the pocket as he usually does. His gift for being able to make tight, precision thrown off balance has never been greater or more useful than it has been lately. Under normal circumstances an injury of this type would all but cripple an ordinary player. Rodgers is no ordinary player. The pain is his leg is nothing compared to the size of the chip on his shoulder. He knows the Hawks see him as vulnerable. Rodgers has also made a career of silencing his doubters and shoving their words right back down their throats. The Hawks can’t afford to think Rodgers will be helpless. If anything this will make Rodgers that much more dangerous.

If Seattle has any appreciable weakness it is in their underappreciated receivers. While Doug Baldwin and Jerome Kearse are not members of ESPN’s highlight reel with Wilson delivering the ball they don’t need to be spectacular. Last week Kearse was well covered but Wilson somehow was able to drop the ball in the bucket that Kearse grabbed with one hand to make a huge play. The Packers defense seems susceptible to a player like Wilson who can run himself out of trouble and into big yardage gainers. Containing Wilson is the very reason Nick Perry and Datone Jones were drafted. The question is now in the payoff. Perry has quietly put together a very solid campaign. It was Perry last week who had a hand in 2 consecutive sacks of Tony Romo to squash Dallas’ attempt to rally against the Pack. The jury is still out on Jones; there would be no better time than now to see that tree bear fruit. Another former question mark Mike Neal’s play has been noticeably more stout of late. Getting bigger and rangier more athletic types was the goal. The Packers have seen enough of these new age, read option quarterbacks in the past few years to want to see many more come along. Free agent Julius Peppers was added as well to give the Pack more than a fighting chance against Seattle.

Being brutally honest although both teams have identical records Seattle appears to have more on paper on defense. History says that winning back to back Super Bowls is a thing of the past. Seattle looks primed for another shot at it and for Green Bay it is the deepest they’ve gone since there run in ’10 to the Lombardi Trophy. Seattle cannot let Rodgers get started or get loose. They will test his leg and his resolve. If Rodgers can withstand the heat, if the offensive line can open holes and keep Rodgers clean the Pack has a fighting chance. So much is being made of the first game and Rodgers’ calf, so much so that S Earl Thomas come out and said “I ain’t buying it (Rodgers calf injury).”

“I’m not buying into this leg issue,” Thomas said on Thursday. “I’m not buying into it. I saw him scramble close to the goal line on the Cowboys, so he’s not fooling me with that.” In spite of those that insist Rodgers didn’t look like Rodgers Thomas didn’t flinch. “I’m not falling into that,” Thomas said. “I’m on my own road regardless.”

 “We know he’s a little banged up but he looks just fine to me in that last game — he was making most of his throws, he didn’t scramble as much and get out of the pocket as he’s done in the past, but for the most part, he’s making all of his throws and he looks just fine,” linebacker K.J. Wright told reporters.  “So we’re going to treat him like he’s healthy and like he’s 100 percent.” Added safety Kam Chancellor:   “That’s the mentality you’ve got to have. . . .  You don’t want any surprises so just go in with that mentality, and you won’t be surprised.”

Green Bay cannot turn the ball over or give Seattle good field position. It is a lot to ask but this is the playoffs. The old mantra serves well here. Ya wanna be the best then ya gotta beat the best. Simply put the Packers will need a flawless, near perfect performance to ouster the reigning champs. Nothing else will do.

Game one was nothing more than an extended version of the preseason for both teams whose regulars hadn’t seen much action. The table is set for the main course of the playoffs. Now it’s time to serve it up. We will break tradition and offer up TWO predictions of the score. This is if Green Bay can force some turnovers, not commit turnovers and if the Pack can play a perfect game. Otherwise...

 

 

 

 SEATTLE  31  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Green Bay 24  

 

 

 

 

 

 

But if the Packers can play a perfect game...

 

GREEN BAY  27

 

 

 

  Seattle 19 

UPON FURTHER REVIEW…

Controversial Late Reversal Helps Lift Pack into NFC Title Game

They’ll be talking about this until anyone who saw it has long since passed away. In the NFC Divisional matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers the Pack came out of it on top by a count of 26 -21. The score will be rendered moot. What won’t and probably never will be soon forgotten was the challenge of Dez Bryant’s apparent catch on 4^th with 5 minutes to go that was initially ruled a catch that was overturned when Mike McCarthy won his first successful challenge of the season. Even those that saw it still don’t believe it.

With Dallas facing 4^th and 2 at the Green Bay 32 with 5 minutes left Tony Romo lofted a prayer of a rainbow intended for Bryant, who had been largely held in check most of the game. Leaping high above the much shorter Sam Shields Bryant snagged the ball, stumbled 3 steps and went down. That’s where everyone can agree on the facts.

Upon coming down with the ball Bryant attempted to lunge forward with the ball and upon hitting the ground the ball popped up and Bryant resnagged it while rolling in the end zone. The official had ruled on the field a catch and Bryant was down at the 1 yard line. The Packers were down to their last time out and Mike McCarthy had already lost one challenge. McCarthy was once fearful of tossing the red hankie but after overcoming his inhibitions he had become red hot and among the league’s best in winning his challenges.

That did not apply to this year. McCarthy had lost 5 challenges this year already. But desperate times call for desperate measures and this challenge smacked a bit of desperation. At first blanch the hearts of the 80,000+ in attendance and a riveted television felt their collective throats tighten. "Some people think throwing the red flag is fun," McCarthy said. "It was such an impactful play, you had to challenge. It was a confident challenge. And a hopeful one, too." While referee Gene Steratore went under the hood and Fox TV went to commercial not a single toilet in the land was flushed.

When Steratore emerged to announce the reversal Lambeau Field exploded in delight while Aaron Rodgers dragged his ailing leg back onto the field to try and seal the W. Afterwards a composed but dejected Jason Garret said "It looked to me like Dez had two feet down. He (Bryant) made a move common to the game, which is this thing they talk about a lot. We've seen him a number of times this year reach out and score touchdowns, making that same thing. It seemed like he had the ball at the end of the play as well. So all of those things factor into it." But Steratore said clearly that Bryant failed to “…maintain possession throughout the process of the catch and by rule the play was an incomplete pass…”, Packer ball 1^st and 10. The so-called “Calvin Johnson Rule” states that a receiver must hold onto the ball throughout entire process of contacting the ground which was echoed by the NFL’s Head of Officials Dean Blandino in a post-game tweet. As Bryant lunged forward the ball hit the turf and bounced up and out of his grasp momentarily but it was just enough to overturn the initial call. As the rule is written the reversal was the correct call. Given the athleticism a player of Bryant’s caliber possesses it is a call that made because of and not in spite of that same athleticism. NFL players have become so good and so talented that just catching the ball isn’t enough. No question Bryant caught the ball and in 20/20 hindsight had he merely been content to make the catch and not attempt his last lunge at the goal line and a score the outcome could have been very, very different.

The call will undoubtedly overshadow a gutty, gritty performance by Aaron Rodgers who played the game essentially on one leg. In the first half Rodgers looked nothing like the precision dart throwing machine he has become. Rodgers led the Packers down the field on their first drive to open the scoring with a 4 yard toss to TE Andrew Quarless. Cowboy QB Tony Romo was just as good leading the ‘Boys back to a halftime lead that had a little help. While he did not throw a pick at home again (Rodgers has now thrown 500+ straight passes at home without a pick) Rodgers’ early fumble greatly aided Dallas’ cause. The Cowboys took a 14 – 10 lead in at the half and the talk was rampant about how much Rodgers torn left calf muscle was hurting him and the Packers.

Just before the half Green Bay got a boost when Datone Jones got a hand on Dan Bailey’s field goal attempt to keep the Packers within 4 points. The Packers defense played well all afternoon and for the most part held league leading RB DeMarco Murray in check. Murray’s biggest run came late when he ripped off a 29 yarder but he lost the battle of the backs to Eddie Lacy who ground out 101 tough yards. While Murray ran for 123 yards he did not do enough damage to be as large a factor as Lacy was for Green Bay. Lacy did not play as much as McCarthy would have hoped. Lacy’s asthma became problematic early in the 20 degree weather that limited his time on the field. He made the most of his chances when he had them.

Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, the former Lions boss was very familiar with the Packers. His scheme was fine. The Packers biggest weapons in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb were the primary focus of the Dallas D. Nelson had a tough time getting open and McCarthy’s creative deployment of Cobb made Dallas D’s day a long one. The plan was well executed but for one small factor. Rookie Davante Adams had the game of his life with 7 catches for 117 yards and a huge highlight reel catch and ruin TD. In neutralizing Nelson and Cobb Adams found himself open and targeted more frequently by Rodgers. After Murray’s 1 yard plunge gave Dallas a bigger cushion at 21 -13 Rodgers suddenly resembled the likely league MVP form he had all year. As Adams went on a crossing route Rodgers fired a missile into the rookie’s hands and Adams dumped a shake n bake on Cowboy S J.J. Wilcox, a move the at left the overmatched DB with sore ankles and a strained neck as he turned to watch Adams haul the rock in on a 46 yard sprint to then corner pylon. There was a bit of head scratching when McCarthy sent out K Mason Crosby for the PAT and not going for the expected 2oint attempt. Crosby hit two long field goals with nary a waver on the day and his kick closed the Cowboys’ lead to just 1 point at 21 – 20.

Nelson was held in check with only 2 catches but Cobb became the go to guy in the key spots. His 8 catches for 116 yards were on par with Adams and it was Cobb that emerged late to make the key grabs. His stumbling, rolling grab of a tipped pass for 12 yards and a first down on 3^rd and 11 ensured the Packers would make a return trip to the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 4 years. He was a little too jacked after the catch; in his exuberance he was flagged for delay of game when he threw the ball down the fields in celebration. “I went a little carzy” a chagrined Cobb admitted afterwards with a smile. He wasn’t alone in the less-than-composed department. Guard T.J. Lang almost touched off a riot when his late blasting shot at DT Nick Hayden just after the whistle blew after Adams caught a 5 yard pass and was fighting for extra yards. In the pushing and shoving that ensued Lang was hit with what could have been a very costly 15 yarder that made it 3^rd and 16 instead of 3^rd and 1 form the Cowboy 7. “I saw guys still wrapping him (Adams) up trying to take him to the ground,” Lang said. “I thought I heard the whistle as soon as I made contact with the guy, so I didn’t think it was late. That’s not the kind of game I play. I just try to take care of my guys. I obviously felt (terrible) there after the penalty – there’s no guarantee we would have scored a touchdown – but maybe taking four points off the board,” Lang continued. “So I’m probably the happiest guy in the locker room that we won.”

As the game heated up did the Packers D. Following the drive and score OLB Nick Perry sacked Romo on consecutive plays in a key defensive stop, one that was critical to Green Bay building and keeping momentum. The Packers defense sacked Romo a total of 4 times. The defense had a stellar day as Julius Peppers chipped in with 2 forced fumbles, none bigger than the chop he laid on Murray when Murray saw a hole open as wide as the Red Sea parting in front of him. The timing could not been better for the Packers as Murray would have had an awful lot of real estate in front of him.

 

With the game on the line Rodgers simply ignored the pain in his leg and drove the Packers once again. Moving around more liberally in the pocket he rolled out and found rookie Richard Rodgers running across the back of the end zone as Green Bay took the lead back 26 – 21 when the 2 point try failed to connect. The dramatic comeback left a little over 9 minutes left, enough time to set the stage for a play that will be chewed up and dissected for years to come. ESPN’s Skip Useless will probably choke on his cheese curds over this one while there will be some in Detroit who feel the Cowboys got exactly what they deserved.

So let’s do a quick study called “The Seven Degrees of Officiating Adventures”. Let’s start in Seattle a couple years back when the replacement refs roamed the earth. Rookie Russell Wilson lofts a Hail Mary that Packers Safety M.D. Jennings intercepts. But upon further review it is ruled a touchdown. Now let’s roll ahead a few years. Ndamukong Suh stomps on the Packers’ Evan Dietrich Smith’s arm but is not hit with a flag on Thanksgiving Day. But upon further review the NFL overturns the non-call and sits Suh for 2 games.

Roll ahead to this year. Suh steps on Rodgers’ already injured leg and then does it again and is suspended by the NFL 1 game for it – the playoff game against the Cowboys. But upon further review Suh is let off with a reinstatement as he had not committed any felonies since The Stomp and only a few indiscriminate misdemeanors – like the kick to Matt Schaub’s private area that drew no additional time off. So while Suh is playing against the Cowboys last week Matthew Stafford attempts to hit Brandon Pettigrew who in turn is run over by the Cowboys Anthony Hitchens who is flagged for pass interference. The call is made over the PA system. But upon further review the flag is picked up, the penalty against Dallas forgiven and the Lions are escorted out the door.

And then The Reversal that sunk Dallas on Sunday. There is no greater poetic justice than the Packers going back to the scene of the original crime in Seattle next week to play for the right to go back to the Super Bowl, the circle of screwball calls and rulings and re-rulings and reversals having been fully completed. The irony is not lost. The Reversal will overshadow a truly well-played game by two very good football teams. Garrett was on the money when he said afterwards that the call did not lose the game for the Cowboys. Granted, it did not help their cause but he felt his team did not make enough plays.

The Reversal will also take some shine off the Packers resiliency and gutty comeback performance. The Packers have come to expect hanging 40+ points on opponents at home and then running away. Only the Jets had the Packers behind at home this year as much as the Cowboys did. WR Terrence Williams emerged as the ‘Boys new threat not named Bryant with his nifty catch and run TD over Tramon Williams who was left in the dust, a score that was matched by Adams’ TD grab.

For their efforts the Packers get to go into Seattle to face a Seahawks team that is hungry for another Super Bowl run. For the moment the win over Dallas can be savored. But come Monday morning the Pack begins preparing to go back to the season opener and the site of an embarrassing 36 -16 blowout. The challenge all along has been to close the gap with Seattle.

Now that challenge to see how much that gap has narrowed is this week’s reality.